Economic Development

City Planning

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Fire Safety Permits

The Fire Prevention Division manages the City and County of Denver’s program of Fire Safety Permits.

A Fire Safety Permit is an official document, issued in the name of the Fire Official, that authorizes the performance of a certain activity (use, handling, storage, manufacturing, occupancy or control of specific hazardous operations and conditions). The permit is issued only if the condition meets code requirements. The permit process includes cross-checking with Development Services, Public Health and other agencies to ensure that those agencies’ requirements are also being observed.

There is a charge for permits; see Permit Fee Table. In almost every case, there is an on-site inspection at no extra charge.

Marijuana establishments or businesses involve unique operations which can create significant life safety and fire hazards. As such, all establishments or businesses engaging in these activities shall be required to obtain all applicable annual operational permits from the Denver Fire Department. All operational permits and (if applicable) construction permits must be obtained prior to an Excise and License Business License inspection sign-off.

Flammable gas (i.e. Butane) oil extractions, where the gas is released to the atmosphere, are strictly prohibited by the Denver Fire Code. Violations are subject to criminal penalty including fines and incarceration.

Below is a pdf flow chart overview of the Denver Fire Department Marijuana permitting process. (Please click on the chart to enlarge)

Please click below on the general type of permit for more information and where to apply for that type of permit:

In general, permits related to new construction (structures) or installation of new safety systems in buildings are issued following plan review in the offices ofDevelopment Services, Denver’s one-stop Development Review and Permitting Center. Starting at Development Services ensures that your construction project will be reviewed by all the necessary agencies—Building, Zoning, and Fire.

However, when the construction process itself or the structure being built involves hazardous materials, processes or equipment such as emergency generators, you will need to contact our division. Please see the chart below.

Operational permits pertain to processes and materials used on a regular basis. In most cases, operational permits must be renewed annually, a renewal fee must be provided and an on-site inspection will be done.

Annual permits are effective for 12 months from the date of issue unless otherwise stated on the permit. Once you have a permit in place, we will automatically contact you to renew it in subsequent years. Please contact us if there are any changes that would affect the status of your permit (i.e., no longer using a particular hazardous material or process, or starting to use additional ones).

Special Detail Program (Events)

If you are holding a public event involving 250 or more people, the Denver Fire Code requires you, as the event manager, to hire a firefighter, or multiple firefighters, depending on the size of the event, to be present to ensure public safety by:

Ensuring that exits remain open and unblocked

Providing crowd control

Acting as liaison to emergency response crews in the event of an emergency incident

Supervising pyrotechnics, fog machine, and other special effects to ensure that these operations are done in a safe, code-complying manner

If you are planning to hold an event, please complete the Special Event Permit Application below and fax to the Fire Prevention office at 720-913-3596. For information on fees for special events please refer to the Permit Fee Table.